Letter to Commissioner Raymond Kelly Regarding the NYPD Response to Critical Mass
December 8, 2004
Hon. Raymond Kelly — Commissioner NYPD
1 Police Plaza
New York, NY 10038
Dear Mr. Kelly,
The Greenwich Village Block Associations is a community wide coalition
of neighborhood organizations dedicated to preserving and improving
the quality
of life for residents of our historic neighborhood. At our last meeting
we discussed Critical Mass, in part, because Union Square served
as the gathering
point for the November ride. The New York Police Department has legitimate
concerns about the potential hazards posed by a massive group of cyclists
making their way through city streets. Questions arose, however, concerning
what well may be an overwhelming use of NYPD resources.
Critical Mass has occurred all over the world for more than ten years.
The cyclists of Critical Mass are involved for a variety of reasons: some
as
a form of protest and some purely for recreation. Indeed, some riders that
participated during the Republican National Convention were dismayed that
what they expected to be a peaceful ride evolved into a protest. The GVBA
is critical of cyclists who fail to obey the law, particularly those who
ride on the sidewalks; we support NYPD efforts to crackdown on unlawful
conduct.
We have, however, heard disturbing anecdotes about bystanders who have
been subject to police interference. We also understand that on occasion
police
officers have overacted to minor infractions, confiscated bicycles and
arrested riders, rather than issuing summons. It seems that the NYPD is
taking a confrontational
stance towards an event that could be managed in a more cooperative spirit.
The GVBA understands that the efficient deployment of police resources
is a sensitive and difficult challenge. Greenwich Village is experiencing
a
rapid increase in the number of licensed premises and we are encountering
the severe problems that these establishments often create. Large numbers
of tourists, some of them rowdy, visit our community. Residents complain
that inadequate police resources are directed towards solving these problems.
Indeed, the 6th Precinct has had the number of its officers reduced by
more than a third over the past five years.
The GVBA hopes that the NYPD will defuse the antagonism that has been fostered
around Critical Mass and decrease the police effort required to supervise
it without curtailing its spontaneity. We believe that our police officers
could be better employed dealing more strenuously with other problems,
including our own. Thank you.
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